Deliverance
by Perdyta
Summary: Takes place after the movie. A tale of healing and power and how anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Unless, of course, it goes right. Evey Hammond/Eric Finch
1. Delta

A/N: I'm glad I finally am working on this and not letting Bug Juice bully me into being faithful only to that story. I cut this chapter short, as I didn't want a horribly long first chapter. Sorry for the lousy summary, I don't enjoy giving away too much of the story. Anyhow, enjoy.

**Deliverance**

**CHAPTER ONE:  
DELTA**

For the first time in a long time Inspector Eric Finch woke up neither to an alarm clock or his cell phone, but instead to something much nicer. Something that smelled like Sunday breakfast.

His mother would make the most delicious meals on his parents farm in Former Ireland. She would wake him and his brothers up and start cooking breakfast, and while they waited his father would comb the boys' hair, making sure they weren't looking shabby for mass.

Faintly he could hear the soft coo of a woman jazz singer. For a moment Finch considered the possibility that he had died and gone to heaven, but as he sat up and remembered the past events and where he was, he realized it was the next best thing so far.

It had been a little over nine hours since Miss Hammond had insisted he might not be safe in his own home. He had been a party member and she had no idea if the people would be calling for the execution of all government corrupted officials or not.

It was the least she could do since he had not shot her or anything.

He followed his nose through the mysterious Shadow Gallery, and ended his search standing in the doorway of a cozy looking kitchen with Evey Hammond's back to him.

"Oh. Good morning Inspector Finch." Evey said as she glanced over her shoulder then quickly turned back to the delicious smelling mess she was making on the stove.

"Morning." he replied distractedly as he was trying to see what she was doing. "What are you doing?"

"Um... making - or well trying to make - breakfast." She told him, flipping the eggy mess over in the pan. "I hear it's called Eggy in a Basket, but I must be challenged because I don't think it's as easy to make as people have told me."

Eric Finch said nothing in reply, but as he stood at her side in front of the stove, he thought it looked like she was trying to make scrambled eggs and French toast in one pan to save dishes but something went horribly wrong.

"I'll make lunch." He offered as Evey sat him down and gave him a plate full of slop.

Though it wasn't very pretty looking, he ate it anyway and was startled when his eyes began to water and his throat closed up. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he savored the taste. The smell had only brought back a brief memory, but the taste of real butter on such fine wheat bread took him back to watching his mother pull out a freshly baked loaf of bread and when she sliced it when it was still warm she would smear their own home churned butter on it just for him.

"It's delicious." He said at last.

Evey only smiled at him from across the table and began eating from her own plate of eggy-bread mess. The smile was short lived, however, and he could see the look on her face but couldn't place what it meant exactly. He thought she looked a bit apprehensive. Almost like she was in the BTN being chased again. But the look was soon masked and she began to eat.

They ate in silence, neither one glancing at the other until Finch realized he was missing something.

"Do you have any coffee?" He asked.

Evey looked up at him before glancing around the kitchen. There was a coffee pot, so she thought they might, but she had no idea how to make coffee, she just ordered it.

"We might, I don't really know..." She said and began to get up, but Finch raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't trouble yourself, I'll make it." _Especially after this little breakfast catastrophe,_ he thought privately and glanced down at his plate as he stood.

All seemed right in the world when Finch had a cup of black coffee in his hand, possibly the most delicious brew he had ever tasted. But his serenity was ruined when his mobile rang.

"Yes?"

"Inspector Finch?" A young male voice asked nervously.

"'Lo Dominic." He said in a tone that Dominic was unused to receiving, from him anyway. It was almost as if there was feeling behind it, a feeling other than apathy.

Finch sipped his coffee carefully and glanced up at Evey who was busying herself with the dishes.

"I hadn't heard from you after you left and - where are you?"

"With Evey Hammond. Where did you disappear to once I left the car? Thought you would be with me after a while, thought you wanted to know answers as well."

"Hammond? What about Codename V? The people are still screaming for him."

"He's dead. As are Chancellor Sutler and Mr. Creedy." There was no feeling behind this news and it was delivered in his usual calm demeanor. He saw Evey pause in her laboring and watched as she dried her hands when she turned to him, her head was tilted at him and she crossed her arms over her chest. Finch looked at the ceiling instead as he listened to Dominic curse under his breath.

"What are we supposed to tell them?" Dominic asked, knowing this news would be devastating to the people.

"I guess we could try... telling them the truth." He said with a sigh.

"Right. Well, after you. Look, could we meet some where? Where are you and the Hammond girl?"

"She told me it's called the Shadow Gallery."

"Never heard of it."

"Neither have I."

There was a silence for a while and Finch heard a roar of chanting over the phone, they were indeed screaming for Codename V, but that was all he could make out through the noise. Then there was what sounded like a door slamming and the noise was muffled.

"I think the Hammond girl should be the one who delivers the news of V's death. And... the others." He could hear Dominic much better now but his suggestion was a bit of a shock to him.

Finch looked over at the mentioned girl and met her gaze, it held his with a strength that made him unable to look away.

"What's it like out there Dominic?"

"Uh... dirty... and well, I think they know Sutler is dead. The news isn't on, nothing is being reported. The police aren't doing anything and the fingermen seem to know it's best to not be seen. The people want to know, and I have a feeling it's up to us what to tell them."

"I'll call you back Dominic."

"Are you going to meet me? Inspector!" But Finch hung up.

"Did I say something wrong?" Finch asked, wondering what the wrath of Evey Hammond might entail. He was sure Codename V would have taught her all of his little karate gimmicks and Finch didn't want to be her punching bag.

"No," Evey said and had a small smile as she shook her head. "I was merely surprised you told the truth and didn't try to cover it up."

"Oh." was all Finch could think to say in reply to that and sat down to finish his coffee. Ignoring the rest of her dishes, Evey sat down across the table from him and watched him. He could tell she was about to say something and he would need to respond, so he decided to savor the coffee while he could.

"I've decided to go to the BTN, tell them who I am and ask if I may deliver my own special report just to tell the people what has happened, so that they have an official report from someone not being payed to cover the truth up."

Finch nodded and decided not to tell her that was just what Dominic was saying she should do. He also decided not to make a remark on how asking nicely would probably go over better than going in with a bomb.

"I was on the phone with Dominic - "

"Who?"

"My partner. The one you maced."

"Oh, right." He noticed there was no guilt on her face and it almost made him smirk.

"He says nothing was being reported, policeman aren't doing a thing, about what I don't know, but he says it's dirty too."

Evey took in this bundle of half-information with a nod and Finch felt rather silly for having presented it to her all bollocksed up like that, though he knew he didn't have hardly enough information to satisfy her anyway.

"Then maybe all we'll have to do is let ourselves in and take it from there." Evey suggested optimistically, trying not to let herself think of what V would do in a situation like this.

"Should we write a script?" Finch asked, not at all sure what you did in front of a camera or preparing to go in front of a camera unless he was staring up at the large head of Chancellor Sutler.

"I don't know..." Evey bit her bottom lip and stood up. He watched her as she moved to the sink to finish doing the dishes. That only lasted about a minute before she rinsed her hands and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know." She repeated. Tears started to form in her eyes and she was thankful Inspector Finch was still sitting at the table and her back was to him. Closing her eyes, she took in a shuddering breath and tried not to think about how easy it would be to just sit down and cry and wish over and over for V to still be there.

_He's still here. That's what he would want me to know. Just the fact that Inspector Finch and I are talking about delivering the news, completely to them and in no way fabricated... that means he's still here._

Waiting a moment longer to speak as she didn't want her voice to crack and for her guest to think she was weak, she turned once her eyes were dry again.

Finch had not known what do to during her little moment, as he had had little experience with women for the past few years since Delia had ended it with him. But he did recognize that she was still in the mourning process... it was just that he was completely clueless what to do with another human being's emotions.

Now, though, he saw that she had masked her emotions once more and he recognized her as a force not to be reckoned with.

"I think it would be a good idea," Evey began, "if there were no scripts. If we went there and allowed them to hear what I say like I was having a conversation with them."

Finch nodded, ready to give her whatever she needed as long as it meant telling people what had happened. He would want to know if it was him.

"Great, is it alright if I make a quick stop at my place?" Finch asked, though he suddenly felt ridiculous for asking this young woman permission to do anything, especially going to his own home. "I mean, I want to make a quick stop to do some things if you don't mind waiting."

"No, I don't mind." Evey said quietly, "We'll just have to be careful."

* * *

Inspector Finch led Evey to his humble abode and thankfully without incident. As they walked they could hear in the distance a loud roar chanting "V, V, give us V!" and Evey was amazed that there were still people calling for him. Weren't they exhausted?

_I hope they don't fall apart with the news of V's death._She thought worriedly.

They had noticed all the dirt in the air as well, Dominic had been right about that. Evey was feeling the need to take another shower before they were halfway to Finch's home.

Unlocking his door, he led her in graciously and asked her if she wanted a drink. Evey nodded yes while looking around at the very masculinely decorated apartment. It gave her the inane urge to sit down, cross her legs and act the part of coy dinner guest.

"Nice place." she said instead as she accepted his drink. The glass was dusty from his fingers and he apologized sheepishly before telling her that he needed to get washed up and she could feel free to make herself comfortable.

Evey watched him leave before taking a seat on his very fine couch.

Out of curiosity, she turned on the telly. As she flipped through the channels she saw that it was the same thing on each one - the "emergency" channel continuously airing Sutler's message. Evey had missed it the night before so she sat and listened to the man showcase his little man syndrome at its best through his speech.

"What a load of shit." She said under her breath and turned the television off. Looking around at the somewhat bare apartment, she tried to find something else to keep her mind occupied.

* * *

Eric stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, glad to be cleaned and not looking forward to having to leave his apartment again. It would be so easy to just stay there forever.

_Who's going to be on my side? Once they hear I'm a cop, it'll be off with my head._

Maybe staying there forever wouldn't be what he did. Maybe he would run away to Ireland, but he immediately beat that idea down. There was no Ireland and there was no one for him in Former Ireland either.

Getting out his razor, Eric tried to distract himself away from thoughts of hiding and running away and set on getting rid of his stubble.

But when he was rinsing out his razor, he almost dropped it from what he saw.

That name... the brand name carved into the plug in his bathroom sink. It had caught his eye because he could have sworn it said - but no, he was wrong.

Still, he had never noticed it before, and it had given him an eerie feeling when he was certain he had seen her name.

Using his pointer finger, he covered the line of the "T" and read the new word out loud.

"Delia."

No, that was over.

He had learned things from her journal, and his memories of Delia were tainted now. All those years together, and not once had she confided in him.

_It wasn't her fault._

He knew too well the pain memories could cause. Perhaps he should have been less drawn back, perhaps he should have made her feel welcome... feel as though he was someone to confide in. Someone who could feel what she felt.

He knew as well as she must have that it would have been impossible. For until last night, he had only felt numb.

But when he saw that building, those fireworks... When he heard that music, something changed.

The feeling had been there when Codename V disguised himself as William Rookwood and he, Inspector Eric Finch, listened to talk of conspiracy. The feeling had been there when he asked Dominic his questions one might have passed off as an insomniacs ramblings. The feeling had been in Larkhill Detention Facility.

Then it had been just a tiny, fleeting feeling. Insignificant really.

The time had passed when being insignificant was acceptable. He had known that when he watched Evey, the way her lip trembled but her chin was held high. The way the fireworks danced and reflected in those defiant eyes.

When he saw her in person for the first time, chasing her in the BTN, there had only been fear. At least she wasn't out of place. Fear was all anyone had. But not anymore. Fear had died as swiftly as Chancellor Sutler. And Prothero. The Bishop. Fear had died with them.

And fear had died with Delia.

He snapped out of his daze and tried to leave behind old memories. There was pain in those memories, and it was pain he no longer needed to deal with.

When he was satisfied with the job he had done shaving, Eric Finch finished getting ready and concentrated on the task before Evey and him, refusing to think like a weak minded fool any longer.

* * *

Evey had found a book on Inspector Finch's shelf that she had never heard of and curled up on his couch, letting it enchant her and take her away.

The book was soon charming her and she didn't even notice Finch walk into the living room until he cleared his throat.

Looking up at him, Evey quickly sat up and set his book down gently, feeling a bit sheepish for lounging on his nice couch with her dirty clothes.

"Are you ready?" He asked, wondering if he was.

Evey shook her head. "No, not hardly... let's go." She stood up and Finch was content to follow her. 


	2. Duty

**A/N:** This took a very long time, but I am buckling down to update my stories as much as I can because I am going to be moving and I may not have internet access for a little while. But I will still have my computer so on the bright side I could still be writing and then make a come back with already complete chapters! Anyhow, enjoy this new chapter! The ending was the only thing taking me so long and I kind of just got it over and done with so I can move on to funner parts of the story. Oh yeah, just wait til you get to read the next parts!

**CHAPTER 2:  
DUTY**

The streets were quiet, but Evey was used to that. The distant roar of the people gave her a rush of excitement, just thinking how many people were so _brave._ But then, it also made her nervous, she feared chaos and riots, she feared violence in the streets because of the news they were bringing. She hoped more than anything they would listen to her.

Eric had other feelings than excitement, he was feeling uneasy about all this. Preferably he would have escorted Miss Hammond there by car or with Dominic at the very least, but she did not seem as paranoid as him.

_If something happens, who is going to protect me?_ He thought, though he felt slightly ashamed for not thinking of who would protect Miss Hammond. But he reasoned with himself that she had less to fear than him.

_I suppose it's still just a habit, to fear so much._

They turned the corner and both froze. Evey had the urge to inch back until only her eyes were visible, but she stood her ground.

There were a group of soldiers congregating around a broken bench that had plenty of graffiti on it. They were still in uniform, but Evey recognized that they weren't Finger Men and without a glance to see if Eric was following she continued on with her chin held high.

The men watched their passing in silence for a moment before one of the younger ones turned to his buddies. "Isn't that Inspector Finch? I'd say his tastes haven't improved much. My arse has more hair than what's on her head."

"Your arse has more hair than all my wife's little damn dogs combined, Gaige." Another officer commented with a snicker.

"Oh and you've seen it then have you?" A third officer butted in looking very pleased to have thought of that remark.

"What? His arse or my dogs?" The second one asked.

"What about you and dog arses, Ron?" a fourth one joined in.

"Shuddup." The second one, Ron, mumbled and Evey and Eric left their foolish bantering behind.

She knew the back of her neck was turning red by how it burned, but she didn't want to give that man the satisfaction of looking humiliated in the slightest. Especially considering the lack of wit they showcased, she was not about to let men like that bring her down. Never again.

Their walk continued on and they encountered more soldiers, each one just as tame as the first but all with some remark or other. They all recognized Inspector Finch, but no one realized it was Evey Hammond he was with.

At one point, Inspector Finch had put what he hoped was a comforting hand on her back, but he felt foolish when she walked a little quicker. She was _Evey Hammond,_ she didn't need a comforting hand. She was no damsel in distress.

"Hey! What are you doing with that girl?" A shout pulled his attention away from his thoughts and he saw a man around his age standing in his doorway. The man had dirty glasses and a Guy Fawkes mask in his hands.

"What?" Eric asked, not particularly used to being shouted at by anyone other than Chancellor Sutler.

"I recognize you - not by name but I can tell a cop when I see one. Lately you all have the same stick-up-the-arse kinda look about you. What are you doing with that lady? We've won the fight." The man had taken a few steps away from his front door, as if he would pursue Eric to no end for an answer. "Didn't you see the fireworks?"

"Aye." Eric nodded as they continued on their walk, wanting to just get away from people and their damn, overwhelming opinions. "I saw it. So did she. We just weren't in the front row." He decided to ignore the cop jibe and the rather insulting accusations.

"Where are you taking her? I won't lay down and let the cops abuse anyone in front of me, not anymore. No sir!" The man exclaimed, and Eric comforted himself with the knowledge that the BTN was not so far away anymore.

He would have just kept walking with a shouted explanation of sorts over his shoulder, but Miss Hammond had stopped and faced the man. He felt compelled to wait for her.

"Thank you sir," She said with a kind smile. "I appreciate your eagerness and kindness to ensure I am alright. Other than Inspector Finch you are the kindest man I have encountered all day, but you assume incorrectly this time. He is not taking me anywhere, I am the one taking him to the BTN."

"Oh," The man looked back and forth between the two of them before deciding there was no reason to doubt Evey. "Then I apologize... Inspector Finch. And if you don't mind me asking, miss, why to the BTN?"

Evey did not mind him asking. She remembered a time when she was in his place and wanted V to tell her all the answers, and he would never cover the truth up. So she spoke with honesty, seeing no purpose in lying.

"I want to activate the emergency channel, so I can tell everyone all the news that they need to hear, and I hope they do hear. It shouldn't be very hard with Inspector Finch at my side."

The man took this information with a nod and a thoughtful look on his face. It seemed he was unsure whether he could believe or not, but then he didn't know the nature of the news so it could be anything. He was dying to hear anything.

"What's your name miss? I am Sebastian McAlli and I believe in all V has done and said." The man said with a tone of importance and Evey found she rather liked the eagerness in him to do good despite that it was probably a trait that got him into trouble. It made her think of a child in a red cape, soaring on his bicycle. But to think of that child brought memories of hospitals and riots as well, and she looked away, urging back the tears.

"Right, I-I am -" She began to stammer, having lost the calmness she had thought she had acquired. She was thinking of her brother at St. Mary's, thoughts that led to tales told to her by V. She thought of riots in the streets, black bags, she thought of V and his music. _Whoever I am it is because he made me this way. I am strong and I am powerful. But if I let myself cry now, here in the streets, what will keep me going on._

_I have to go to the BTN, I can't buckle down yet. I am Evey Hammond. I must let the people know what happened to their Freedom Fighter, it's my duty._

Unaware of what was going on in Miss Hammond's head, Eric spoke up, putting to words the question he had been dying to ask the last few minutes.

"If you believe in all he does, why are you not shouting for him?" Eric asked with a frown, figuring this Sebastian man seemed like he was the type of person to shout and scream for his freedom fighter until he passed out.

Sebastian frowned as well. "I believe and trust that man, which says something that a man in a mask can demand your trust... but I have never been optimistic. V destroyed parliament, but that seems to be the only thing he is doing. He never told us he would come out and let us all have a nice chat. He said he would blow up parliament and that's what he did. But... Chancellor Sutler isn't having a nice chat with us either, so he must have done something else. Something good... for us."

Chuckling a bit, Sebastian ran a hand through his dusty hair. "Guess I am optimistic in some things aren't I? Still... I know a lost cause when I see one, and it seems to me that screaming for V for hours on end is one of them."

Eric only looked at him in response, feeling he agreed but not sure if he wanted to agree with a man who had earlier claimed he had a stick-up-the-arse look about him. Any vocal response he might have had, though, was interrupted when Miss Hammond decided to speak again.

"I am Evey Hammond." Evey told him in a quiet voice. The man's eyebrows rose as he quickly diverted his attention back to Miss Hammond.

"Evey Hammond? But you - this is - I am -" The man didn't know what it was or what he was, but his voice was getting louder with each incomplete sentence and Evey quickly put a hand out to stop him.

"No, please! Don't draw attention. I want to get to the BTN quickly, so I can tell everyone what there is to know."

"Yeah." Eric agreed. "It would be murder if we had to battle through a million Sebastian McAlli's... no offense." _Take as much offense as you like._ He thought secretly.

"Right. Well then... on your way I suppose Miss Ha... Uh... _madame._ It was a pleasure meeting you and um... good luck I suppose. I'll be watching for your program!" Sebastian told them and waved but the pair were already walking away.

"Oh shit." Evey cursed under breath. "I should have asked him if anything was even playing on the telly."

After a moments silence, Eric tried his hand at reassuring her.

"If it makes you feel better, I think he had just gotten home and hadn't bothered looking at the telly yet. So he wouldn't have known if you asked him." Eric offered, not exactly good with the whole chit chatting thing or comforting thing or anyt social thing, really. He didn't even know the correct word for social things other than that, but he never had the urge to be correct on that subject.

"Right... thanks for that I guess." Evey muttered. It did not make her feel better, how on earth was that supposed to make her feel better? She still didn't know if they would be welcomed into the BTN or if it was empty or if the Emergency Channel would work for them or _anything._

_Calm yourself Hammond. Get a grip. If I need to I can just go and stand on the ruins of Parliament and hold a large megaphone. That could work... sure... all those staring judgmental people. Thinking what the hell do I know of Codename V. No, Sebastian seemed excited to know I was Evey Hammond. He believes I have news to bring. I can't let him down. I can't let any of them down._

"At last." Eric said, interrupting her thoughts. Before them stood the BTN in all of its glory, the horrible place she had wasted most of her life with no hopes of moving up in her job status without laying on her back to get there.

"Oh. Good." Evey said. They were in its shadow and she was feeling nervous. _Please don't kill the messenger. Please don't kill the messenger,_ she kept repeating to herself.

_Maybe we'll see them coming through the windows and have a head start. We could go live in the country and make houses out of mud. Not that there is much country left anymore, not here._ Evey tried to take calming breaths, she didn't want her imagination to give her a panic attack.

"Finally. I was sure if I had to go another block breathing this dusty air I would cough out a piece of chalk."

"Lovely Mr. Finch." Evey said distractedly. They walked on in silence, Evey left to her nervous thoughts and Eric wondering what was wrong with him, why this sense of freedom was giving him the wit of a awkward adolescent.

When they got to the door, they both pulled out their ID's at the same time.

"You're joking." Eric said and at Evey's questioning look he merely glanced at her ID in what she thought was a very patronizing way. Still she looked at him in question and Eric tried not to roll his eyes.

"The last time your ID was used a man was murdered. We didn't hesitate to put you on the black list after that."

"Oh didn't you?" Evey asked, crossing her arms. She watched him slide his ID through the door and followed him through.

"Well, not me per se. I made Dominic do it." He told her simply.

Evey was about to respond, this light chit chat having actually calmed her nerves for the time being, but she was interrupted.

"Made me do what? Oh right everything. Where have you two been? I swear it looks like the Apocalypse is coming out there." Dominic, the very man they were speaking of, was lounging in the front security desk and though his words suggested he had been waiting impatiently to her he seemed quite relaxed and fine where he was.

"I know you missed me, couldn't ever leave the office for two seconds before you came running out looking for me and shouting 'Where are you going!?'" Eric replied in a rather playful manner.

Dominic seemed to be as surprised as Evey at this sudden change in him, but it only lasted for a moment before he threw his head back and laughed.

_No, not laugh._ Evey decided. _He's giggling._

"Right... well... while you kids get a hold of yourselves, I'm going to go do grown up work." Evey said, eying the two of them and wondering if she had just been presented the problem with home land security these days.

Having sobered quickly, Eric followed her and with a look over his shoulder Dominic got up and followed as well.

The three of them rode the elevator in silence. Watching the ascending numbers nervously, they hid it well under a careful mask of calmness.

* * *

Sebastian McAlli was never a patient man, and as he paced around his apartment feeling restless he wondered if anyone else would hear Evey Hammond.

Holding the mask tightly, he did not hesitate before taking off in a run. He wanted to be sure the people heard her.

_I believe there was a reason we met today._

* * *

"This is where we get off." Dominic said and Evey chewed on her lip so she would not remark on how she had worked for the BTN very recently if he recalled.

Instead she muttered, "Right" and stepped out. The men followed and Evey guided them to the studio while trying to think of what to do.

"Do either of you know how to work the Emergency Channel?" She asked and Dominic answered by walking to the controls standing next to her. With a muttered "pardon me" he got Evey out of the way and she stood with Inspector Finch.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to tell them?" He asked, his cheerful demeanor gone. Evey wondered if it would ever be seen again, but men like Inspector Finch were constantly surprising her.

Evey shook her head. "Not exactly, but I think I'll start with my name. I got low grades in speech class... but I always loved being in the school plays. Which is why V had me dress up as a little girl once when he murdered the Bishop... It ended up being his fault even when I tried to warn him. I really shouldn't have, because look where it got me. Bald and... but I know he meant well and he did well too because it worked. I'm fearless. Fearless, right? Yes." Evey was pacing around the studio and wringing her hands together during her little rant.

She was not afraid of being in front of the camera, she was just afraid of the consequences her words might have.

Dominic, though, had slowly turned to look at her with wide eyes. He was not positive her heard correctly, but it fit.

He knew that he shouldn't be surprised, well he wasn't with the Bishops rather disturbing fetish. What surprised him was Evey's willingness to rant and admit she had been put in that position... and it was becoming incredibly difficult to see her in braids and a puffy skirt.

Priding himself for how composed he had been during Evey's little panic attack, Eric saw how Dominic was looking at her and this time he did not hold back on rolling his eyes. Still, there was work to be done and it really couldn't wait for Evey's panic attacks and his partners imagination.

Clearing his throat, Eric walked over to Evey as Dominic quickly turned back to what he was doing.

"Would you like to take a look in the mirror before you go live?" Eric asked.

"Why? Do I have something on my face?" Evey asked, trying to keep her voice at a normal and calm level.

"Only dust." Eric told her, hoping his calm demeanor would help relax her.

For a moment Evey was silent and then with a deep breath she said, "No, I don't want to look better than them." Turning away from him, Evey wrapped her arms around herself, giving herself one last comfort before it was time to deliver the news.

Inspector Finch thought back on how his stomach had churned when he heard the news of Creedy's Fingermen trying to "Detain" another girl - that sort of news he had tried to stay away from. Tried to ignore rather than do anything about it. He remembered breaking into her neat apartment and seeing her face for the first time, she had looked so weak and fragile.

He found that he envied her, this weak and fragile looking thing. That she should get a front row seat the night Codename V destroyed the Old Bailey.

"Alright, we are good to go." Dominic said, interrupting Eric's thoughts. When Evey turned around and met his gaze, he realized he had been staring and quickly looked away.

"When ever you're ready Miss Hammond." Dominic said and motioned to the chair usually taken by a very professional looking newscaster. Evey was almost afraid of getting it dirty... but she was as ready as she ever would be.

* * *

Sebastian was unused to running so far and so fast but the memory of Evey Hammond gave him the adrenaline to push him on.

"Oi!" He said, nudging an older man on the shoulder, not sure where to start but deciding it would be best to just do it.

"Watch it!" The man said in a raspy voice. Sebastian knew he had been a faithful follower, one who shouted for V for hours on end. The shouts were dying down, now. Hope was being crushed as quickly as it had come.

"Watch the screen!" Sebastian blurted out and the old man merely looked at him. Perhaps because it hurt to speak or maybe he just thought Sebastian was a loony.

Either way, his bluntness had been overheard by a curious bystander who was ready to believe.

"The screen? For what? What are we watching?" The curious lady asked, her voice also harsh. It would probably be a few days before every ones throats were healed.

Sebastian was about to answer and by now a few more people had gathered around him while more were looking over with curiosity. There was a sense of stage fright coming over him, but he knew he had to get to more people than this.

Before he could find the words, he was interrupted by the hoarse shout of another stranger. "Look, there! The emergency channel is being activated!"

Sebastian looked as well as those around who had heard. Murmurs moved through the crowd and the sound was growing as the news was passed. He knew who they were expecting, and he hoped more than anything they would understand.

The roar of the static was loud and the sound of news traveling was growing. By now he was sure the news would make it to everyone for the crowd was moving and he was forced to move with them so he would not get trampled.

Then through the static emerged the dusty face of Evey Hammond and the murmuring grew louder.

"They need to be quiet, they need to hear what she has to say." Sebastian worried out loud.

The old man he had nudged on the shoulder nodded and whispered, "It won't take their curiosity long to win and their voices to give out."

"Hello?" Evey Hammond said, her voice a bit shaky. "I hope you can hear me, Dominic says the volume is fairly loud..."

"Get on with it!" Someone shouted from the crowd, their voice cracking.

"Shut up you!" Someone else tried to shout back.

"What I mean to say is I have news to tell you," Evey went on, unaware of the little bickering that had just occurred. "But first you should know that my name is Evey Hammond, and I was saved by Codename V."

"I knew she wasn't kidnapped, I bet money on that! Where's Roger?" A man a few feet away said happily and a few people chuckled while more shushed him.

"While on the topic of V I should probably let you know that... in no uncertain terms..." Evey paused and wished the camera wasn't in her face so much at that moment. _Why couldn't I just deliver this sort of news on the radio?_

Evey tried to speak again but she was finding it difficult to speak with the way her throat had closed up. Blinking hard was doing nothing for the way her eyes had watered up and she was remembering how badly she would like to just break down and cry and ask someone to hold her.

But she could not, not when she needed to be strong to deliver this news.

"He's dead." She breathed out, and when she tore her gaze away from the camera she saw Dominic and Eric both watching her and their gazes relaxed her.

Evey looked back into the lens of the camera, wondering who she was locking gazes with. Wondering if anyone believed the news they just heard.

With a calming breath, Evey relayed all that had happened since the last November the fifth until last night. She included everything Inspector Finch had told her after she took him to the Shadow Gallery and by the time she asked them to practice peace and forgiveness, her voice had grown hoarse.

She wondered what they were thinking as she told them the news of every death she knew of. Were some upset to hear of Sutler's death or were they all too much in love with the way freedom felt?

"I am not above you or beneath you," Evey said at last. "None of you are better or worse than another. I am merely the messenger and I ask only for peace... so I suppose this is good bye for now. That's... that's all I had to tell you." She offered the camera a very small smile and Dominic took his cue to turn off the Emergency channel.

"How did I do?" Evey asked, her body shaking.

"You did well, I can't think of anything you left out." Inspector Finch told her.

"I can't imagine that you could leave anything out, not during the amount of time you were on the air." Dominic said, earning a look from Eric.

"Was I talking that long?"

Eric shook his head and Dominic said nothing, though he would have loved to nod behind the inspector's back.

Evey stood up and walked towards them, stuffing her hands into her jean pockets. She felt much better now that she had said all those things. There was no turning back and all they had to do was leave the BTN - one step at a time and they'd make it.

"What do we do now?" Dominic asked, looking to Inspector Finch for guidance.

"I suppose we go face the world, princess." Evey told him with a smile as she passed him and Dominic scowled at her retreating back.

A/N: Also, oh my goodness thank you so much The Noble Rot, your review made my head grow like three sizes and it sure doesn't need that! I can't thank you enough! You're amazing, okay? That's all there is to it. AMAZING. (Caps make it more true)


End file.
